Leading the good mood food revolution are startup founders
Kansas City Zak Williams used booze and cannabis to treat his despair when his father committed himself. This dubious remedy gave him short-term respite but only deepened his state of dissociation.
“It was not sustainable,” declared the late Robin Williams’ son, an actor and comedian. “It’s simply not a very effective long-term anxiety support strategy.”
He committed to sobriety after a time of healing and exploration, during which he learned about the “transformational” benefits of amino acid complexes and botanical adaptogens for mental wellness. This past September saw the release of PYM Mood Chews, the first product from Los Angeles-based PYM Health, Inc., following two years of research and development.
Together with a food scientist, Mr. Williams—an investor and advisor to several mental health organizations—developed a recipe that included GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid), L-theanine, and rhodiola, three ingredients that helped him attain a balanced condition. The gummy-textured, citrus-flavored chews come in a tin with calming colors all over it.
Mr. Williams declared, “We want to be the better mood company.” “Our goal is to make something that makes people happy and gives them support before we start adding more goods and activities. Our intention is to truly concentrate on creating experiences that revolve around individuals and their emotions.
A number of new brands surfaced during a year marked by converging crises, including a worldwide pandemic, a national reckoning on racial injustice, political and economic instability, and catastrophic wildfires. These companies promised stress relief through mixtures of relaxing herbs, roots, mushrooms, and other ingredients, backed by science. Within the $78 billion functional food and beverage industry, the entrepreneurs of these firms are creating a new market niche. the movement for food that lifts moods.
According to New Hope Network estimates, the US had a 9.4% growth in sales of functional foods and beverages last year. The long history of usage of adaptogens in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine has aided in the expansion of this category. Certain plants, such as ginseng, holy basil, reishi, and maca, are thought to control how the body reacts to stress on a physical or mental level. Nootropics—substances like L-theanine, ashwagandha, and green tea extract—which are touted as enhancing cognitive performance are also becoming more and more popular in relation to functional meals.
“What you see in supplements is that nootropics, adaptogens, brain health, and antiaging are just beginning to explode,” said Chris Bernard, co-founder of Mindright, a celebrity-backed line of “good mood superfood” snack bars. “The wave is coming toward food and beverage.”
Mindright, a Los Angeles-based company, was founded earlier this year and makes plant-based bars that are rich in fiber, low in sugar, and loaded with nootropics and adaptogens like ginseng, cordyceps, and ashwagandha. Formerly the CEO of protein cookie company Buff Bake, Mr. Bernard co-founded the company with professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek, a reality television celebrity. Athletes involved in action sports, television’s Marcus Lemonis, and singers Joe Jonas and Travis Barker are among the $1.8 million initial round investors in the firm.
The packaging for Mindright bars, which are exclusively available online at this time, describes the product as “brain fuel” and includes pea protein, sunflower lecithin, prebiotic vegetable fiber, and medium-chain triglyceride oil. According to Mr. Bernard, a tiny spoonful of coconut sugar balances out the bitter flavors of the adaptogens. Toasted coconut, blueberry almond, and peanut butter cup are some of the variations.
The company intends to expand into more foods and beverages in addition to a more extensive rollout into retail locations.
Mr. Bernard stated, “We have a lot of products in the works, a lot of creative concepts around snacks and drinks, what we call’sips.'” “Everything we do will improve brain health, which will be driven by your mood. We highly value mood support, and it forms the cornerstone of the company.
Shattering obstacles
More companies are encouraging customers that it’s acceptable to not feel okay by bringing attention to mental health, a topic that is surprisingly still shrouded in stigma. The number of adults with recent symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, increased from 36.4% to 41.5% in just six months. The organization also observed a notable rise in the proportion of Americans reporting last year’s prescription drug use or mental health therapy.
“People find it difficult to talk about anxiety and stress,” Mr. Bernard stated. People find it embarrassing. It’s critical that we can have an open discussion about it and provide a space where individuals may feel secure and at ease when doing so.
Early versions of Mindright were only concerned with memory support, cognitive function, and antiaging; but, according to Mr. Bernard, market research led the founders to focus on creating products that would also improve mood.
“When we tested, mood indexed so highly that we felt like we should be leaning into that,” he remarked. “People are requesting it. It was indexed via the ceiling.
Products marketed as tools for reducing daily stress include PYM Mood Chews and Mindright bars; they are not meant to take the place of medicine, therapy, or other types of long-term care. As a secure and practical substitute for “more extreme forms of self-medication to deal with things like stress and anxiety,” Mr. Williams characterized his product. In order to lessen the stigma associated with mental health, the brand advises consumers to incorporate chewing the gum into their daily routine, take them when they’re feeling tense or before going into a stressful scenario. They also urge users to share their experiences on social media.
Mr. Williams stated, “We need to get more businesses, especially in the private sector, talking about how they can break the stigma and establish a new paradigm of thinking about what mental health support means.” “And it is what it is if it means that I have to share my story and be vulnerable.”
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herbal remedy
The rise of adaptogens and nootropics in food and drink appears to coincide with fading demand for cannabidiol, previously the buzzword for products promoting relaxation and stress reduction. Sales in the United States for food and beverage products containing CBD were down as much as 75% last year, according to New Hope Network.
Mr. Bernard said his team briefly considered incorporating CBD in Mindright formulations but ultimately decided the addition would be “polarizing and not as approachable as ancient ingredients that have been used for thousands of years in Western medicine.”
Sunwink, a herbal health firm, has released new superfood powders that promote calmness and clarity. These powders contain reishi, lion’s mane, and maca. Additionally, the San Francisco-based company sells a range of ready-to-drink tonics that support immunity, detoxification, and digestion.
To create new products, founders Eliza Ganesh and Jordan Schenk enlist the advice of thought leaders and clinical, herbal, and nutrition specialists. Each product’s co-creator chooses a non-profit organization to get a percentage of the proceeds.
“How do we create products we know people can consume on a daily basis?” asked Ms. Schenk, who formerly oversaw Impossible Foods’ global consumer marketing. “What is simple? What doesn’t take an enormous amount of work? Since our main goal is to help individuals reach that moment when they reflect on their current state of well-being and consider the possible benefits of a plant.”
According to a poll by market researcher Mintel, 48% of millennials believe that food and beverages can improve one’s physical and mental well-being. This suggests that there is a chance for product creators to incorporate healthy components into commonplace products.
Before starting the business, Ms. Ganesh used tulsi and lemon balm to relieve stress, which would frequently lead to flare-ups of her autoimmune condition. According to Ms. Schenk, the powders were developed as a flexible choice that could be included in baking recipes, smoothies, lattes, and other dishes. You can even use the tonics to prepare cocktails.
“We are really excited about the direction the beverage industry is taking us in because it allows us to interact with people much more frequently,” Ms. Schenk stated. “We really have charted our course there.”
mindful eating
Whole Foods Market recently brought attention to the connection between food and mood when it announced in March that it was partnering with Headspace, a platform for meditation. In order to promote happy, energetic, focused, and calm emotions, the companies released tools and programs on mindful cooking, eating, and buying. They also highlighted particular ingredients like green tea, turmeric, and chamomile. The business used Harris Poll survey data showing that 79% of shoppers wish to develop more mindful eating habits.
The beginning of spring is a great time to reset your meals and renew your mind, and after a year of drastically shifting routines and priorities, we know customers are eager to reprioritize well-being,” said Kylie Bentley, registered dietitian and team leader for nutrition and compliance at Whole Foods Market, a subsidiary of Whole Foods
Food is essential to self-care, according to Sakara Life, Inc.’s creators, who are based in New York. Sakara is a luxury meal delivery business that combines wellness with luxury cuisine. It offers a changing menu of chef-prepared, plant-rich meals that are delivered straight to customers. Along with pantry essentials, powders, and supplements, it offers a variety of functional benefits, from energy and digestive health to beauty and detox.
Millennial mothers and lifelong friends Ten years ago, Whitney Tingle and Danielle Duboise founded the business as a result of reconciling their difficult relationships with food and adopting a holistic approach to nutrition.
“Sakaraya was founded and has been doing for the past ten years is providing products to support people along every step of their health journey. This past year, we were happy that we could be there to support our clients when they needed us most,” Ms. Tingle stated.
The brand, which describes itself as “what would happen if Jenny Craig and Martha Stewart had a sexy baby,” just released nootropic chocolates that include extracts from gotu kola leaves, bacopa leaves, green tea extract, and lion’s mane mushrooms.
“There is a wealth of research supporting these nootropics and adaptogens to support sustained energy, mental clarity, focus, and enhance cognitive function,” stated Ms. Tingle. For example, lion’s mane, a type of mushroom, has been extensively researched for its powerful advantages on mood and neurohealth. We always approach nutrition with pleasure in mind, which is why we presented this plant medicine as cacao pyramid nibbles.
According to Ms. Tingle, the bites’ combination of unrefined coconut sugar, peppermint extract, raw cacao butter, and nibs helps to balance out the potent flavor of the herbs and adaptogens.
Sakara, which generates $150 million in revenue annually and counts a number of well-known clients among its clientele, is going through a “huge period of growth,” she added. She said that in order to encourage and assist customers in achieving both physical and mental wellness, the company is still researching new components.
“If there is one positive thing about 2020, it’s that it made the importance of health very clear,” Ms. Tingle stated. One of the most unselfish things we can do is to take care of our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. By putting your health first and filling your cup, you can better serve everyone in your life, including yourself.